Photo: Amy Spaur of Iowa is
commissioned as a mission intern and
missionary of the United Methodist
Board of Global Ministries at a June
2005 ceremony in New York. Spaur
will be serving at CEPALC, or Centro
Popular Para America Latina de
Comunicacion, in Colombia. A UMNS
photo by Mary Beth Coudal, United
Methodist Board of Global
Ministries.

We Have a Mission

Why does the church exist?
According to Matthew’s Gospel, the
risen Christ made it clear: “Go
therefore and make disciples of all
nations, baptizing them in the name
of the Father and of the Son and of
the Holy Spirit, and teaching them
to obey everything that I have
commanded you” (28:19-20).

So the mission of our
congregation is to make disciples.
This is a four-fold task….We could
abbreviate our mission as one of
welcoming-worshiping-nurturing-sending.
(See The Book of Discipline of The
United Methodist Church—2004, p. 88,
and Guidelines for Leading Your
Congregation, 2005-2008.

We reach out to people and
welcome them into the church

We have a direct responsibility
for people of the “world” around our
church, the community in which we
and others study, work, shop, play,
and so forth. In this world are
people with many hurts, doubts, and
questions. There are some who are
new in the community and feel a
little lost, some who are proudly
self-sufficient, and others who are
in desperate circumstances. Our
mission is to reach out to them,
listen to them, accept them, share
the gospel in word and deed, invite
them into the family of faith, and
joyfully receive all who will
respond.

We relate people to God and help
them deepen their relationship with
God

The second task in making
disciples is to offer people
opportunities for growing closer to
God. Whether they are visitors or
old-time members, just beginning the
journey of faith or well along the
road—all are in need of God’s love
in Christ. Through worship, prayer,
study, and honest sharing, we help
one another discover that the Holy
Spirit is not far off but present
with us, wanting an open and loving
friendship with each of us—not only
friendship but commitment as well.
Through our congregation’s various
ministries we encourage one another
to give our selves to Christ, to
ground our lives in the living God.

We nurture people in Christian
living

Third, our congregation’s mission
is to nurture people of all ages in
the Christian faith and to help them
practice the disciplines of
discipleship. The church exists not
to serve itself but to serve the
world. We come to church not only
for our own personal enrichment but
also to prepare ourselves to do the
work of love and to get ready to be
Christ’s disciples in the community.
Through worship, baptism, Communion,
Bible study, prayer, and other means
of grace, we’re strengthened for
ministry.

We support people in their
ministry

As members of the congregation,
we’re sent into the community to
serve those in need and to make our
community more loving and just. We
believe that the Holy Spirit
empowers and guides us in these
ministries and that wherever there’s
need and suffering, we meet Christ,
already at work. But still, we
cannot be effective in ministry on
our own. So the congregation exists,
in part, to surround and support
each member in his or her ministry.
We do not always succeed in our
efforts to be faithful disciples in
the world. But with the loving
support of the community of faith,
we can continue to grow.

Excerpt from The United
Methodist Member’s Handbook by
George Koehler (Discipleship
Resources, Rev. 2006), p. 10-11.
Used by permission.

Methodists in Mission

The United Methodist faith is
deeply rooted in the Scripture and
in the basic beliefs of all
Christians. Out of that theology and
the faith have grown some specific
actions that mark United Methodists
as Christians engaged in ministry to
the world. The early members of the
groups that eventually became The
United Methodist Church

took strong stands on issues
such as slavery, smuggling,
and humane treatment of
prisoners;

established institutions for
higher learning;

started hospitals and
shelters for children and
the elderly;

founded Goodwill Industries
in 1902;

became actively involved in
efforts for world peace;

adopted a Social Creed and
Social Principles to guide
them as they relate to God’s
world and God’s people;

participated with other
religious groups in
ecumenical efforts to be in
mission.

We Are All Called to Minister

To be a member of The United
Methodist Church is to be in servant
ministry with and to others.

In our culture, many people use
the word minister to mean
clergyperson, a pastor or other
ordained man or woman. But for
United Methodists, all of God’s
people—children, youth, and
adults—are called to be ministers.
Most of these people are
laity—baptized Christians of all
ages who minister in formal and
informal ways within the church and
beyond it.

In The United Methodist Church,
we have two expressions of ordained
clergy, who are also ministers:

Deacons: Men and women
ordained by a bishop to a
lifelong ministry of Service
and Word—especially in
leading and supporting
baptized Christians in their
varied ministries in the
world….

Elders: Women and men
ordained by a bishop to a
lifelong ministry of
Service, Word, Sacrament and
Order—that is, to serve,
preach, teach, administer
the sacraments, and order
the life of the church for
its mission.

Though our gifts vary widely,
we’re all called to and engaged in
the one ministry of Jesus Christ.
Some aspects of our ministry are
easy and come naturally. Some are
difficult, involving long hours,
tough work, perhaps with conflict,
perhaps with disappointing results.
What drives us? What keeps us going?
The list includes at least these
three things:

the memory of Jesus’ life of
service to others, which
inspires us to follow him in
ministry;

the assurance of God’s
gracious love for us, which
empowers us to love others;

the promise of God’s coming
reign on earth, which draws
us into action directed
toward this vision.

Let’s be more specific. Where
does ministry happen?

It happens in our daily activity

For those who are alert to the
needs of others, each day abounds
with opportunities to serve. We
minister with our families as we
inquire about one another’s lives,
as we listen and respond with care,
as we touch, as we smile and offer a
kind word, and as we decide
questions and reconcile conflicts.
We take time to listen to a friend
in need and we respond; this is
often the greatest gift we can
offer. We minister at work, to both
co-workers and those we serve. We
minister in the neighborhood or the
shops as we go about the day’s work.

It happens through new
initiatives

We also go out of our way to
minister. We hear of a need, read of
a crisis, or see an opportunity to
share God’s love. It may be with
someone across town, someone of
another racial or economic group, a
person with a disability, or a
person of another nation or culture.
We take time to call, to visit, to
write, and to ask how we can help.
We also take the time to respond.

It happens through groups and
institutions

Many needs are best met by
joining forces with others. We take
part in community groups that are
trying to serve human need or trying
to change social forces that cause
suffering. We give our time, our
energy, and our money. Though others
in these organizations may not think
of it this way, for us it’s Christ’s
ministry.

It happens through the church

Through our support and our
contributions, we participate in the
far-flung ministries of The United
Methodist Church—in our district and
annual conference, across the
nation, and around the world. Here
in our congregation we take part in
service groups, we sign up for
special action projects, we visit,
we telephone, we lead, and we teach.
And we minister face-to-face in all
kinds of ways, both when we gather
and in our informal contacts.

Inspired by the example of Jesus
and empowered by God’s love for us,
we all carry out our ministry, both
individually and together with
others.

Excerpt from The United
Methodist Member’s Handbook by
George Koehler (Discipleship
Resources, Rev. 2006), p. 18-19.
Used by permission.